Bittersweet Times
by Alyette
Summary: [Ryoma x Sakuno] Three years ago, Sakuno was rejected by Ryoma and vowed to move on. Meanwhile, Ryoma starts to love her more and more. This story is about sweet Sakuno and her relationship with Ryoma during his realization. Ch. 7: Discovery
1. Flashback of Rejection

**A/N: Sakuno's Haircut will be posted up again this summer**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Prince of Tennis**

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**Flashback of Rejection**

It had been three whole years since that awful day occurred. Petite Sakuno Ryuzaki had skipped to the Seigaku tennis courts to watch practice. She held a neatly tied blue handkerchief in her small hands that contained some cookies she had baked for her longtime crush, Ryoma Echizen.

The cocky brat had seen her and muttered, "Che". Ryoma had despised her and thought of her as a weak, silly fan girl. Her shoulders had been too wide for tennis, her hips too unsteady, and her hair too long. Those ridiculously long braids had acted like the Tezuka Zone, but they attracted bad luck instead of tennis balls.

"Practice is over. First years, pick up balls. Everyone else is dismissed," Tezuka had said, as his cold brown eyes swept the tennis team. A reverberating, "Hai!" had been heard.

Ryoma, even though he was a first year, had been a regular. He had become popular in the school only after making the top eight Seigaku tennis players. But sweet Sakuno had felt gentle love for him before he even entered Seigaku. She had consulted her best friend Tomoka about this and decided it was time to confess.

The arrogant jerk of a freshman had watched with boredom when Sakuno had shyly walked towards him. He had been most surprised at the words that came out of her mouth.

She had said, "Ryoma-kun, I l-like you" with determined eyes that were uncharacteristic to the normal personality of Sakuno. Sakuno had only been determined because she had been so sure of herself and her love for the prince of tennis.

However, Ryoma had stated, "Ryuzaki, I don't have time for confessions. Especially confessions from clumsy girls who cannot play tennis," An expert expression decipherer would have been able to see that Ryoma had inwardly gasped at the way it came out. He had cursed himself and tried looking apologetic; instead, a snobbish smirk spread across his features.

Sakuno was prepared for rejection, but she had started to shake at the harshness of his snub. Her handkerchief full of freshly baked cookies had dropped and her eyes gleamed with forming tears until 3...2...1...

But it hadn't happened. She had not cried. The rejection had fueled her anger for his arrogance. So instead, the sweet girl unexpectedly had glared at Ryoma. She had snatched her cookies from the pavement near the tennis courts and shakily said, "Alright then, _Echizen-san_, I guess we'll have nothing to with each other. Since you stated that you did not like me in that _incredibly gentle way_, I won't bother you anymore."

Sakuno walked off with a mix of anger, disappointment, and grace. She had stridden through the park and streets until she reached her home. Losing all her self-control, she had run up the stairs and leaped onto her bed, crying her heart out. After her eyes were exhausted, she had stared at the blue sky which was slowly turning dark and hugged her pillow.

She had contemplated her situation. She could:

A. Become friends again with Ryoma and never talk about what happened.

B. Transfer schools.

C. Ignore Ryoma and get on with her life.

She had ruled out choice A, because it was too heart-breaking. Choice B was inviting, but she wanted to prove she was strong. So even though it had hurt her, she picked C. Choice C had given her hope and if she was strong enough, she could stop loving the jerk.

'_Echizen-san... I'm done with you. I do not hate you. I do not like you. I'm completely done with you_'

With those words, she had drifted off to sleep.

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**Hope you liked the first chapter. Comments and suggestions are welcome. **


	2. A New Day

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis **

**A New Day**

Sweet fifteen-year-old Sakuno looked at herself in the mirror. Compared to three years ago, she had transformed from a small, cute girl to a graceful teenager. Her dark brown hair was no longer in braids, but in a high ponytail. She had grown into a young woman with curves in the right places. Her eyes were still a beautiful russet color and her face small with a gentle smile enhancing her features.

'I wonder if Tomo-chan and Kei-kun will come by today,' she thought as she added finishing touches to her ensemble. Seishun High's uniform was more or less like the middle school, except that they were blue.

All the senpais from Seigaku attended the High School also, except for Kawamura. Even though Sakuno adored her friendly senpais, she had realized that they were too busy with their own tennis world to pay her any attention whatsoever. Slowly, she had stopped attending Seigaku matches and started to develop her own interests.

She joined many clubs and also wrote for her school paper. That was how she and Tomoka met Nagumo Kei. He was a kind boy, which was a refreshing change from arrogant tennis princes... not referring to anyone, of course...

"SAKUNO!!!"

Sakuno jumped as she heard a loud voice call from her house gate; no doubt that was Tomoka. She glanced at the clock at gasped. She grabbed her books and thrust them in her bag. She glanced once more at the mirror and rushed down the stairs. She hopped into her shoes and sprinted out the door. She waved at her two friends and greeted them with a soft "Ohayo".

As they were walking, Kei asked, "Are you staying after school?"

She shook her head. "I don't have any meetings."

Tomoka grinned and said, "Then let's get something to eat after school and hang out."

Kei and Sakuno nodded. The three friends approached the school entrance and said their goodbyes.

Sakuno went to her locker and picked out the books for her first few periods. She quickly walked to her homeroom and saw that fan girls were crowding the doorway. She rolled her eyes and squeezed through the crowd. While doing so, she swore she went deaf while hearing many voices call "Ryoma-sama".

"Ah... Tennis Prince of Seishun High sitting in my homeroom, how lucky I am," she muttered sarcastically.

"So am I a tennis prince now?" Sakuno inwardly gasped and saw the one person ignored with an indescribable passion: _Echizen. _

"Well?" Echizen smirked as her fists clenched. The girl was obviously mada mada dane. Since he had mastered the three doors of Muga no Kiochi, he could tell by copying Atobe's insight that her spirit had a roughness and coldness to it.

"'Morning Echizen-san," Sakuno grumbled stingily.

"You still haven't answered my question." Echizen crossed his arms and leaned against a desk.

Lucky for her, the fan girls had dispersed; the bell was about to ring. She crossed her fingers and waited for a few seconds. The teacher came in and the students scattered, rushing into their seats. Displeased at the interruption, Echizen took the seat behind Sakuno.

As soon as the words, "Open your textbooks," came out of the teacher's mouth, Echizen yawned and stared out the window. Occasionally, he would glance at the clumsy girl sitting in front of him, wondering how the heck she grew a backbone.

For three years, he had watched her avoid him like a plague. She had stopped coming to Seigaku matches and practices. He realized soon enough that he missed her shy hellos and occasional bentos she made. But he understood what had happened when they finally graduated from junior high. She had become next to top in her class at graduation, barely losing to Echizen himself. She had used those last years to blossom from a shy, moderate girl to an intelligent and spirited girl full of character.

He disliked her talking to other boys and developed an antagonistic attitude towards that _Nagumo._ Just who was he to Sakuno? Echizen's thoughts started to wander until he realized how "overprotective" he was being. It would be a while before he would understand it was jealousy. But he knew that he missed her attention. Echizen pondered over this until he thought, '_Why do I care about her attention when I have a billion fans all around the world after the U.S. Open?' _

However, this did not explain her attitude. It somehow tallied with the change, but he wondered what caused it. Dense as usual, he had forgotten about the quick, cruel rejection she went through.

He did not know that she had cried for him until she could cry no more and resolved to go back to what she had neglected for Echizen Ryoma. That Twister Serve baka would not get anymore undeserving attention from pretty Sakuno!

Fate had different plans. After steering clear of Echizen for three whole years, she was assigned to the same classes as him. Kami-sama, she was in front of him for every class! Sakuno had been horrified at the prospect, but maintained her cool exterior. She embodied the phrase "Once bitten, twice shy" and refused to break her vow.

As the bell rung, she groaned. The next class would be English with the Cyclone Smash prodigy sitting behind her again. Still, after this, she would see Kei-kun in science class afterwards. Pleased that someone would be there to talk to in the class after next, she went to English with a bit of hope in her heart.

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**Sorry I haven't updated this story. I had this chapter written for a while, but my exams start in a week. It's really hard to keep updating. I write out fanfictions in biology class usually, but we have state exams soon. I apologize to my readers and still hope you keep reviewing. **

**Comments and suggestions are welcome as usual. This chapter is the real introduction to the plot. The previous chapter was to recount what happened "years ago". Development will become much quicker.**

**Thanks for the suggestion, theProdigiesz.  
Thanks also to anyone else if they suggested any other names. theProdigiesz wrote the first review for Ch. 2, so I chose this name.  
**

**Hope you liked this chapter.  
**


	3. Attempting to Understand

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis**

**Attempting to Understand**

"Damn it!! That 5-years-of-experience baka Horio is with me in almost all my classes!" Tomoka growled as she erased the board with extra vigor.

It was after school and Kei, Sakuno, and Tomoka, along with Kei's friend, Nakamura Hiro, were inside an empty classroom. Tomoka and Kei had cleaning duty, so Sakuno and Hiro stayed behind to keep them company.

As Tomoka ranted about Horio and his _experienced _ways, Sakuno's eyes roamed the world outside the window until her gaze halted at the tennis courts. Her typically warm russet eyes turned apprehensive when she remembered her grandmother wanted her to meet her there for a few minutes after school.

Tomoka's loud voice drifted into, "Horio and his unibrow need to..."

"Tomo-chan! That's really mean, stop right there!" reprimanded Sakuno, as she snapped back to reality.

"Ah... well, okay then. Kei-san and I are finished. Shall we go?" Tomoka receded.

"I'm ready." Hiro replied.

"Ano... I need a few minutes, Obaa-chan called me to the courts," said Sakuno. "But you guys go ahead. I'll catch up. Order me the usual at the burger joint, Tomo-chan."

"Of course I will. See you, Sakuno." Tomoka consented. 'I hope Sakuno will be okay, seeing as she hasn't stepped into tennis courts for a while now. Ryoma-sama... how could you have done that to her? She's quit everything pertaining to tennis.' With a worried expression, she waved at Sakuno.

Sakuno cast her a reassuring look. She waved as Tomoka, Kei, and Hiro walked through the school gates. She tensed and started to walk towards the tennis courts.

"Nyah! Sakuno-chan, where are you going?" An energetic redhead bounced up in front of her.

With a fine mix of klutziness and shock, Sakuno promptly dropped all her books and papers.

"Eiji! Don't do that! Here, Ryuzaki-chan, let me help you with that," Oishi bent down and gathered a few papers.

"Thank you," was all Sakuno could muster.

"It's no problem. It was because of Eiji's fooling around anyway," Oishi replied.

"Oishi! I didn't do it on purpose!" Kikumaru whined. "So, anyway, where are you going?"

"Obaa-chan called me." Sakuno replied mildly.

"Ryuzaki-sensei is at the courts. We're going there too, so let's go, nyah!" Kikumaru dragged poor Sakuno with him as Oishi followed, holding all her books and papers.

As they neared the courts, Echizen was tearing up the courts. Of course, no one in the courts except Tezuka and Fuji could compare to the Grand Slam champion. But even though Echizen struggled slightly with the buchou and tensai, he still beat them.

Kikumaru whistled and said, "No one is a match for Ochibi anymore. Sakuno-chan, don't you think so too?"

Shocked by the sudden question, Sakuno mumbled in reply. To avoid any perplexed gazes from the Golden Pair, she shouted, "Obaa-chan, what did you want to talk to me about?" As players turned their heads and looked at her, she blushed.

"Ah! Sakuno! Come here for a minute. Tezuka, gather everyone here." Ryuzaki-sensei ordered with a curt tone. Tezuka nodded and called everyone to assemble.

"Now, the Prefecture Tournament is drawing near. Yamabuki High is being led by Sengoku, and they are our first match. Unfortunately, I have to go out of town for a few days. I should be back before the Prefecture Finals. However, that does not mean that you can slack off. Tezuka and Inui are in charge of training. If you follow your schedule, you should be able to win. However, Banda-sensei's Voice of Buddha may give you uncertainties. Do not pay attention to him. Watch your pace and concentrate on the game. Play your best and his Voice cannot affect you." Ryuzaki concluded with a curt nod.

"Everyone return to practice. Regulars stay here." Tezuka ordered.

Sakuno glanced at the familiar 'R' cap. She avoided _**his**_ evaluating gaze and stared casually at tennis nets and racquets.

Ryuzaki Sumire said, "I need you to keep an eye on Sakuno—"

Wide-eyed, Sakuno argued, "OBAA-CHAN! I'm old enough to take care of myself—"

"—because I'm going to Europe for an emergency trip—"

"—I can cook, clean, and do my own homework—"

"—my friend is undergoing surgery—"

"—Tomo-chan, Kei-kun, and Hiro-kun are with me—"

"—Sakuno has a tendency to get lost—"

"—I'll buy a map and travel with my friends, Obaa-chan—"

"—so look after her okay?" finished Sumire.

"—don't drag the regulars into this!" finished Sakuno.

"..." The regulars stared at the bickering Ryuzakis. They sweat-dropped at their argument.

Echizen's golden eyes filled with amusement at the usually quiet girl in a shouting-fest with her feared-by-all grandmother.

Tezuka was hiding a slight smirk as he said, "Hai, sensei. Ryuzaki, don't worry; we won't interfere with your daily routines. Sensei's just making sure that you're safe. However, don't let your guard down."

'Don't let my guard down?' Sakuno's eyebrows raised as she wondered what the hell Tezuka thought would happen to her. Should she not let her guard down when tying her hair up? Or when brushing her teeth? Shaking her head at the absurd thoughts running through her mind, she thanked Tezuka. She left with a very confused and thoughtful face. She walked through the school gates and headed to the hamburger joint.

Kikumaru, Oishi, Fuji, Momoshiro, and Inui were trying very hard not to grin, let alone laugh. Kaidoh, although slightly amused, expressed his indifference with a "Fshuuuuuu." Tezuka threw them sharp glares and ordered Fuji to run twenty laps before he could start something. He sighed. Why can't those idiots be as humble as Kawamura... without his racquet?

Meanwhile, Echizen had many complicated thoughts running through his head. Why was Ryuzaki avoiding him so much?

He tried very hard to remember if he had done anything to that clumsy girl. He dismissed any thoughts about insulting her accidentally. He would have remembered if he insulted a sweet girl who deserved to be crowned the Angel of Japan.

He tried again to remember if he had hurt her physically. He quickly dismissed those thoughts also because she physically harmed herself enough to surpass any injury he could've done to her.

Echizen shook his head and returned to practice. Attempting to understand Ryuzaki Sakuno had to be the hardest task of his career. Who would have a big enough mouth to spill all s/he knew about Sakuno? Ah... Osakada Tomoka. Grinning at his ingenious plot, he decided to ask Tomoka about Sakuno later on. With that resolve, he turned back to his opponent, Arai, and said, "Mada mada dane," before finishing it off with a twist serve.

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**Since I got reviews asking me for more, I decided on uploading a chapter quickly before exams.  
Thanks to all my reviewers and I hope you like the story. I haven't had time to reply to the reviews, but continue to write them please! They encourage me to go on if I have writers' block. **

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Hint: there will be some rivalry for Sakuno's heart soon enough. **

**I will update the story as fast as possible, but it may seem slow. I read my stories a million times before posting them up. **

**fanficgirl8**


	4. Tomoka's Decision

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis**

**Tomoka's Decision**

_A person, someone who causes you pain, is usually someone close to you. Channeling negative energy in you life, s/he must gain much and leave you empty-handed. This negative energy can have a serious effect on you. It is recommended to completely block out the person, rejecting him/her from your daily life, and ignore his/her existence completely. This is a tough choice because s/he is so close to you and you encounter him/her very often. Dr. Nomamura states that... (cont. pg 4) _

At 3:30 P.M., Tomoka threw down the newspaper which she had saved from the morning. There was an article she wanted to read. Having read it, she felt totally confused.

Damn article. But it supported the two girls' choice. So why the hell did she regret encouraging Sakuno to stay away from Ryoma-sama?

Tomoka remembered what Sakuno had told her at the burger joint. Apparently, her grandmother was going to be out of town and the Seishun High tennis regulars were going to look after Sakuno. This meant more interaction with Ryoma-sama.

Suddenly, she heard a loud 'BANG' in the living room. Tomoka's eyebrow twitched. Her twin brothers were getting more impossible.

She screamed, "STOP IT NOW!!!"

Growling, she ran downstairs. Those two twin terrors...

But it was proven that only they could mess with their older sister. If someone else really messed with Osakada Tomoka, a.k.a. the most frightening girl in Japan...

Tomoka grinned at the thought. It widened at the name accompanying it. _Horio Satoshi. _Already a victim of her sharp tongue. Has tenfold more potential to get some really cruel comments out of her.

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3:30 P.M. 

Backed up against the dark wall of an alley, Sakuno cursed her luck. No wonder Obaa-chan was so worried.

Three drunkards were standing in front of her shouting threats and trying to seize her purse.

Sakuno screamed as loud as she could, but was silenced with a slap from the middle drunkard. Biting her lip she took off her purse and threw it in the air, far away from her.

The three men dived toward it and she dashed out of the alley. In her rush, she slipped. She felt her leg break instantly. Horrified, she tried to move further away from the drunken men, who were slowly inching up behind her. It was impossible. All she could do was pray. _Kami-sama... _she squeezed her eyes shut.

When she opened them, she saw two figures running toward her. Relieved, Sakuno waved to them. Fuji's eyes were wide open and, in a swift motion, he picked her up bridal style. She fainted in his arms, due to complete exhaustion. Meanwhile Tezuka managed to beat up the three men.

After making sure the three were uncons—err harmless, Tezuka lifted up her bag. It was... pink. Very pink. Too pink. And it had rhinestones and feathers all over it. He flinched a little while picking it up.

Only tensai Fuji Shusuke could have seen that flinch. However, there was no time for teasing right now. Sakuno was in trouble. She needed to go the hospital.

Hmm... Fuji was really glad. Glad that he made so much fun of Tezuka. Those extra laps he ran had increased his speed and endurance. Fuji, at the back of his mind, stored this event with the purse to bother the aloof captain once more, after this whole incident was taken care of.

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"I, Horio Satoshi, with five years of tennis experience, will give you the information you need." 

Ryoma rolled his eyes and said, "Hurry up."

"Let's see... Osakada, Osakada... ah! Here we are. My five years of tennis experi—"

Ryoma cut him off. "What's the number?"

The loud mouth on the other end gave him the number.

Ryoma said, "Thank you."

Horio decided to use this golden chance. "So Echizen, do you need any help with ten—"

Ryoma hung up. He dialed Osakada's number.

As soon as introductions took place, he heard a squeal on the other end. After hearing numerous incoherent phrases come from the other end, he coolly cut through her chatter. "I need to ask you about Ryuzaki."

Silence. Golden silence for a whole fifteen seconds.

"W-what do you want t-to know about her R-Ryoma-sama?" Osakada's voice was slightly trembling.

"What the hell has happened to her?"

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Sakuno rubbed her eyes and found herself sitting on a hospital bed, with a cast on her left leg. She groaned, pressing her head further into the coolness of the pillow, and glanced at a wall clock. It was 9 P.M. 

After fully awakening, she saw Fuji and Tezuka sitting on her right, watching her. Memories of the afternoon escapade came back to her.

Sakuno muttered weakly, "Thanks...for...help...save... Obaa-chan... know..?"

Tezuka, although not completely sure of her phrase, replied, "Don't thank us; it's our responsibility to protect our kohai."

Fuji added, "I called sensei and told her. She's going to come back a two days before planned. She also asked us to drop you off at someone's place. Yumiko-neesan is driving over to pick us up."

Sakuno had barely an time to wonder who this 'someone' was. A doctor stepped in and said, "Well, Ms. Ryuzaki, you may leave. We finished all testing. Your leg injury isn't too bad, but you will need crutches. Come back in three weeks for check up. It should be healed in about five or six weeks."

The nurses gave her a pair of crutches and fit it to her small size. Accepting them, she placed her weight on them and slowly moved towards Fuji and Tezuka.

Sakuno pondered about her fate while Tezuka's tongue pressed against the side of his cheek. How on earth will she be on crutches if she's already so unbalanced on two feet?

Tezuka and Fuji led her to Fuji Yumiko's car. His sister smiled and Sakuno and helped her in. Once she was safely in and seat-belted, Tezuka handed her the purse. Fuji got into the car seat next to Yumiko and closed the door. They looked expectantly at Tezuka.

He shook his head. "I'll walk home; it's not too far from here."

The Fuji siblings nodded and Sakuno waved. They left the parking lot and turned onto the road. After thanking the siblings repeatedly (much to their amusement), Sakuno asked, "Where did Obaa-chan want me to stay?"

Fuji's smile faltered slightly. "You'll have to pick up your clothes and everything first."

* * *

Tomoka finished, "So there you have it Ryoma-sama." 

His mind was dizzy. What the hell? He told Ryuzaki that?

A sarcastic voice sounded. _'No, it was your nonexistent twin."_

'_Especially from clumsy girls who can't play tennis...' _The phrase was altogether too familiar to ignore.

That did it. Clutching his forehead, he tried to restore his memory. A vague picture of the whole scene three years ago played in his mind. He watched it, horrified, and tried to push it out of his mind. However, the damage was done. He had realized it three years too late.

Tomoka's hands were shaking. She had sworn to Sakuno that she would not relieve the event again. Instead, she had told the one person whom Sakuno wanted her promise known to the least. She let out a deep sigh. This decision was the hardest one she had ever made.

Both at a loss as to what to say, they bade a tacit goodbye and hung up the phone.

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Nakamura Hiro stared at a picture of a certain beautiful brunette. Russet eyes, a bit klutzy... 

How long had it been? Oh yes... two years. Two years since he's had that impractical crush on her.

Well, he thought, it's probably time to show her he was twice as good as any brat like Echizen.

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**R&R please. **

**Finals are over, so now the updates will be a little faster. **

**Hope you liked the chapter. Suggestions and comments are always welcome. **

** Fanficgirl8**


	5. A Prickly Twist

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. **

**A Prickly Twist **

_Never, _Ryoma chanted mentally, _eat more than fifteen burgers consecutively. _

He had just finished his afternoon 'snack' with Momo-senpai. Tezuka-buchou cancelled practice, so he was bored as hell.

The street court was near, so he walked over to see if anyone was willing to play. But as soon as he arrived, he automatically knew that someone had already beaten the challengers and claimed the court.

Looking to see who the victor was, Echizen got an unwelcome surprise.

"Ah! If it isn't Echizen Ryoma," Atobe stated smugly.

"What do you want, Atobe?" Echizen asked lazily.

"Ore-sama will not be talked to in such a disrespectful manner!" He cried. "You should be honored to have seen ore-sama here in the first place. It's not often ore-sama comes to commoner grounds."

Raising his head slightly, he found five of Hyoutei High's students staring back. Excluding Atobe, there were Oshitari Yuushi, Shishido Ryou, Mukhai Gakuto, and predictably, Atobe's indispensable companion, Kabaji Munehiro.

To prevent any more idiotic statements come from his egotistic buchou, Oshitari challenged Echizen to a match.

* * *

"Bye, Ryuzaki-san!" said Fuji as he waved from the car. Fuji Yumiko also waved and the two slowly disappeared from view. 

Nanako smiled warmly at the pretty teen in front of her. "Come in Ryuzaki-san, make yourself comfortable."

"Ano... I...err... what's y-your name?" she asked, fiddling with a strand of hair.

"Ah! Sorry, Ryuzaki-san, you can just call me Nanako," she said.

"Hai, Nanako-san. Thank you," she replied.

Sakuno hopped into the house. Nanako led her to the couch and helped her settle there.

"Ryuzaki-san, I'm sure you're hungry, I'll go to the kitchen and make something for you."

"Ah... th-thank you, Nanako-san."

Nanako excused herself. Sakuno took the chance to look around. The house was typical, with the addition of numerous trophies and suspicious-looking magazines.

_Great_, she though bitterly,_ I'm spending an entire week at Echizen-san's home. _

* * *

He gracefully leaned back and executed a perfect Twist Serve. 

Oshitari, prepared for an extremely fast serve, was unpleasantly surprised to watch the ball twist and ricochet upward. He dodged it skillfully, and barely hit the ball.

_Chance ball._

Echizen bent his knees and jumped. He drew his racquet back. With a flourish, he hit a Cyclone Smash. Unable to counter it fast enough, Oshitari stumbled. Fixing his glasses, he refocused his gaze onto their referee.

"Game, set, match: Echizen," called Shishido, with obvious boredom.

Oshitari wiped the sweat off his forehead and shook Echizen's hand. "Ah... I would've expected no less from a professional player."

Echizen nodded, biting back a 'Mada mada dane'. Instead, he replied, "Aa."

Glancing at his cell phone, he was surprised to see that it was already 8:45. His mother must be worried by now. He waved to Atobe and the group sitting next to him, and said, "Bye," to Oshitari.

Echizen slowly sauntered down the street. Upon reaching his home, he fished out his house keys.

"Tadaima—"

He stopped as his gaze fell on a certain brunette lounging on the couch. If it wasn't enough of a shock to see Ryuzaki Sakuno in his house, he noticed that she was injured.

Keeping a straight face had been easy if it was anyone but Ryuzaki Sakuno.

Luckily for both of them, Nanako walked in, carrying a tray. "Ryoma-san, you were late. Come on, I've warmed up some dinner for you too."

"What is she doing here?" asked Ryoma, directing his question to Nanako. He purposely avoided looking at Sakuno.

"Ah! Ryoma-san, Fuji-san from your school and his older sister brought Ryuzaki-san over. Your sensei asked uncle to take care of her."

"But what happened to her?"

Nanako frowned. "I'd like to know that too, Ryuzaki-san."

"I met these d-drunk men on m-my way h-home. They were after my purse, but when I tried to r-run away, I s-slipped and my leg b-broke," said Sakuno nervously.

Nanako and Ryoma were speechless.

"So how did you get out of there?" Ryoma demanded. Still refusing to look at her, he chose to stare at the dinner Nanako had set in front of him.

"Fuji-senpai and Tezuka-senpai saw me lying on the ground. The rest is a blur. Next thing I knew, I woke up at the hospital with a cast around my leg," she said.

"Ryuzaki-san, you must be really exhausted right now. Let me show you to your room," said his cousin. "Ryoma-san, please take Sakuno's things to the guest room. Ryuzaki-san; let me help you with your crutches."

Echizen seized Sakuno's luggage hastily and proceeded to climb the stairs, and thereby successfully avoid her gaze.

He dropped her bags into the room and continued onto his own, which, to his incredibly bad luck, was the one adjacent hers.

Sighing, he carelessly lifted Karupin off of his bed and hopped into it. Staring at the ceiling, he contemplated the situation. He analyzed the pros and cons.

Well, first off, there was a teenage girl in the room right next to him. Negative.

The girl's name was Ryuzaki Sakuno, who had sworn to avoid him at all costs. Negative.

She was the coach's granddaughter, so no funny business; he may have to pay for it when sensei comes back from her trip. Negative.

His senpais were going to torture him. Negative.

But it was nothing to what oyaji would do. That was worth about twenty negatives.

He'd have to help her along to school because of her leg. Negative.

He may have some feelings for her. Negative.

_Wait. What was that last one?_

Feelings... for Ryuzaki? No way.

Ignoring the pounding in his chest, he turned into his pillow. Only one positive was there: spending time with Ryuzaki.

He did want to apologize. He really did.

But why?

_You miss her. _

Echizen admitted it. He missed Ryuzaki, a lot.

He missed the way she would watch his match, supporting him from the bottom of her heart. He wanted to see her russet eyes observing the path of the ball carefully, and see her hands clasped tightly in anticipation. Other fan girls in America and Japan couldn't compare to her. Her support was unwavering, and true. It wasn't superficial and she did not drop the slightest hint of wanting to glomp him. She kept her distance, admiring him in an honest, hygienic way.

If he could come clean and apologize, he'd have her again. Her support, bentos, friendship, and the rest would be his again.

What happens if she doesn't accept the apology? It did come three years too late, she may not accept.

It wasn't worth the risk of losing his dignity.

Groaning, Echizen drew his elbows behind his head. Would he be satisfied with that simple support? Or did he want more? Many questions arose as he thought about it more and more.

_Che. How troublesome. _

* * *

Sakuno studied the layout of the guest room. 

The desk wasn't too far from the bed, so she could easily move between them. Since it was relatively small, she wouldn't have to strain to utilize the furniture. Fortunately, the bathroom was across the hall, so it would only be a slight limp to it.

Sakuno sighed. She continued unpacking, pulling out random bits and pieces she had shoved in. Fuji-senpai was incredible. He managed to pull off the perfect last-minute packing.

However, the situation was horrifying. From what she had deduced, Echizen-san would be sleeping in the room adjacent. Three desperate years spent ignoring him were about to be thrown down the drain.

Sakuno finished buttoning up her shirt and slipped into her bed. She snuggled into the warmth of the covers and turned towards the window. The stillness of the room was a bit new to her, and she shivered at hearing her own shaky breaths.

How should she behave when it comes to his relatives? Obaa-chan didn't know about the whole ignore thing. This was more of her pride and responsibility. Obaa-chan probably still thinks that she likes Echizen. Echizen's father, from what she had heard from her grandmother, was the complete opposite of him, with the exception of god-like tennis ability. He was obsessed with things like youth and love, and was pretty social.

Nanako-san was really nice. What would she do if she knew Sakuno couldn't stand her cousin? Would she give Sakuno false smiles and keep dislike sealed within? Would she act indifferently and ignore Sakuno?

What about Echizen's parents? They'd probably feel hostile if they knew she was ignoring their precious son, would they also show dislike or indifference?

Better start calling him Ryoma-kun again.

* * *

**A/N: Ah! It's great to be back! Sorry about that small hiatus. I've been doing a lot of studying this summer so I had to cut down on fanfiction. **

**I've nearly completed the 6th chapter, so expect the next update very soon. This chapter's a bit of a filler, but some drama's coming up soon. That's why the next update will be soon. The pace seems slow right now, but I'm just establishing my setting. Get ready for some more good stuff!  
**

**I haven't had the chance to thank all my readers up till now. Your support has been very helpful and please continue to read and review my stories. Thank you for those who read, review, put this story or me on their favorites list, and those who've advised me up till now. **

**Bye for now! **

**fanficgirl8**


	6. Disastrous Reaction: Nakamura's Resolve

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. **

**Disastrous Reaction: Nakamura's Resolve**

Jaws dropped.

Echizen Ryoma's left eye was twitching.

The regulars were simply minding their own business and doing Inui's practice menu. From laps, to jumping jacks, to sit-ups and push-ups, to drinking Inui juice, the eight of them were preparing for the Prefecture finals, when something incredible happened.

Ryuzaki hopped towards them with crutches followed by a growling Echizen. Even more astonishing; he was holding a pink backpack and a pink purse.

There was something foreboding about the whole situation.

Echizen managed to give an apologizing grunt to Tezuka, who returned an almost identical grunt.

Tezuka, feeling sorry for the poor freshman, sent Momoshiro and Kikumaru for thirty laps, Inui for fifty, and Fuji for seventy-five.

Echizen proceeded to do his menu. Looking around, he saw Ryuzaki hobbling to the library. Remorse filled his eyes, but he turned away. How could he have believed that she would forgive him just because she was staying at his house?

He started running his thirty laps. His mind was still in shock from what had happened yesterday night.

The memory of it was inhospitably clear.

After eating burgers with Momo-senpai, he had gone to the street courts. Meeting Atobe there was an unpleasant surprise, but the idiot was too wrapped up with himself to play tennis with anyone. Oshitari tried to save Hyotei High's face by challenging him to a match, which he ended up losing 6-1 anyway. Oshitari Yuushi's level was no where near Echizen's now.

He had played some of Hyoutei's regulars and had lazily sauntered home.

"Tadaima—" he started, but a shock met his eyes.

Nanako was serving dinner to a crippled Ryuzaki Sakuno.

"What is she doing here?" he had asked.

"Ah! Ryoma-san, Fuji-san and his older sister brought Ryuzaki-san over. Your sensei asked uncle to take care of her."

And that's how Echizen Ryoma found himself accompanying Ryuzaki Sakuno to school.

47...48...49...50!! Sit-ups finished.

He looked to the bleachers, but the long haired girl had disappeared long before. Swallowing the tiny bit of irritation that just swelled inside him, Echizen picked up his tennis racquet and prepared to play Kikumaru.

* * *

Sakuno scribbled vigorously into her English notebook, trying to finish the homework she had neglected to do yesterday night. She was quite pleased with herself about the results of her last-minute work. She closed her notebook and pushed it into her bag with her pencil. 

She balanced herself on one leg and seized her crutches. She proceeded to hobble to the library exit, until she saw a familiar face.

"Hiro-kun!" she called.

Nakamura Hiro waved from the desk he was at. He signaled for her to come, but instantly stopped as his gaze fell on her leg. Rushing over, he offered her help with her bag.

"God, Sakuno, what happened?" he demanded.

"Erm... well... It's a long story, but I broke my leg after we talked at the burger joint," she replied meekly.

Nakamura studied her. "It happened after we hung out?"

Sakuno nodded. "I slipped trying to escape muggers."

His eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed. "So how did you get out of there?"

"Fuji-senpai and Tezuka-senpai found me and took me to the hospital."

"Are they from the tennis team?"

"Yes."

"So then what happened?"

_Hiro-kun sure knows how to cross-examine people, _Sakuno thought.

"I... err... am staying at R-Ryoma-kun's house."

Nakamura's clenched his fingers. Ryuzaki Sakuno: at Echizen's house!?

Moreover, did she just call him Ryoma-kun?

"Are you staying there on your grandmother's orders?" he asked stiffly. Crossing his fingers, he hoped she would tell him that his assumption was correct.

"Yes. Obaa-chan really trusts Echizen-san, so I'm supposed to stay there until she comes back."

Before Nakamura could continue their discussion, the bell rang. Picking up her bag, he insisted on accompanying her to homeroom. Giving up her argument, Sakuno followed him.

* * *

"Horio, shut up." 

Horio's unibrow arched in surprise. Echizen usually doesn't tell him to shut up. Admittedly, Horio had his butt kicked playing tennis with Kachiro, whom Echizen had defeated 6-0, no point loss on his behalf three days ago, so he was in no position to fight.

Meanwhile, Echizen was preventing a snarl from escaping him. Did Nakamura Hiro just walk into this homeroom with Sakuno? And carrying her bag too?

Nakamura returned the hostile gaze Echizen threw at him with equal vigor. Sakuno, oblivious to their contest, continued to unpack her books, while describing her situation once in a while to a curious classmate. Even worse, Nagumo Kei decided to drop by and ask about her broken leg. Why couldn't Sakuno just be friends with that Tomoka loud mouth? Did she have to befriend idiots like Nakamura and Nagumo?

Happily, the torture ended as the two bid Sakuno goodbye and left for their homerooms.

* * *

_I'll do it today. I don't want Echizen to get a chance before I do. _

Nakamura's resolve strengthened. Tightly gripping the strap of his bag, he slowly approached classroom 1-B.

Slipping into the room, he gazed at her solemnly, knowing that this was it. If she accepted him, it's improvement. If she rejected him, it's disaster.

Risking it, he advanced. Everything around him was in slow motion, and every breath could be heard. His hands working on their own, he lightly tapped her shoulder.

She turned to face him and asked, "Hiro-kun?" with her usual smile.

Mustering up the little bit of courage he had left after seeing her, he said, "Sakuno."

_Hm? _Her eyebrow raised in confusion. "Did you want something?"

His throat felt dry. Sweat formed on his forehead and he stammered, "I w-wanted to ask y-you..."

"Yes?"

"I really l-like you, Sakuno-chan. W-Will you go out with me?"

* * *

** A/N:** **Cliff-ish chapter, isn't it? I'll try to update ASAP. Meanwhile, leave a review! Feel free to leave suggestions for the next chapter or improvement notes. **

**Do you think Sakuno'll accept? ;)  
**

**I'd like to thank all my readers and reviewers. See you next chapter! **

**Ja! fanficgirl8  
**


	7. Discovery

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. **

**Discovery**

Sakuno stared.

Kami-sama! What on earth was going on? Hiro... just asked her out?

Fumbling with the hem of her skirt, she remained silent for a few minutes. She wasn't very analytical, but Tomoka had always warned her to look at the 'pros and cons' or whatever that English expression that people talked about was. If she recalled correctly, pros were the good points and cons were the bad points.

Hiro was nice. He's a good friend to spend time with and she wouldn't feel lonely at Echizen's house. She would have somewhere to go and someone to be with. Also, she would have a better reason to avoid Echizen. If she accepted, she wouldn't hurt his feelings, and Tomoka and Kei would be pleased. The only con she could think of was that she wasn't sure if she liked Hiro enough to date him.

Sakuno bit her lip. Slipping her fingers into her hair, she thought hard to see what other cons she might've missed. Not being able to think of anymore, she made her decision. The pros clearly outweighed the cons right? Wouldn't it be the right choice?

Something in the back of her mind was confusing her, though. Sure, the cons outweighed the pros in number. But what if...

Jerking out of her trance, her eyes fell on an expectant boy in front of her. Forcing a smile, she nodded slowly, saying, "Y-Yes."

* * *

Echizen Ryoma suddenly felt cold. He never believed he was gifted with clairvoyance, but now thought otherwise. Somewhere, a sixth sense told him something was happening. 

Choosing to ignore the feeling, he resumed walking towards the library. He carried the large stack of books into the building, carefully avoiding suspicious-looking girls with weird packages in their hands. He needed to go to practice today, and he couldn't risk getting ill, in case some weird fan girl had tried her own recipe.

Upon entering the library, he found a smirking Nagumo Kei gazing directly at him. Echizen glared back.

"Ah, Echizen," Nagumo stated pleasantly.

"Mm?" Echizen answered vaguely.

"I have some news that will interest you."

Echizen's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the other boy. Nagumo seemed to be quite serious, so he replied, "What is it?"

"Did you know that Nakamura likes Ryuzaki?"

Surprised, Echizen could not prevent his eyebrow from rising. Apparently Ryuzaki had a couple admirers herself. It wasn't surprising, but for some inexplicable reason, it irritated him.

Nagumo continued, "Well, as we are speaking, he's asking her out."

* * *

Nakamura Hiro smiled and walked tentatively towards her. He gently clasped his hand on hers and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. 

Rather astonished by his forwardness, she raised questioning eyes to his face. He simply smiled again, his boyish handsomeness more prominent than ever. Sakuno relished in the warmth of his hand, and squeezed back. Ultimately realizing that she couldn't walk holding hands, he relinquished it reluctantly. She stood up and moved to the door, with Nakamura following her silently.

* * *

Echizen coughed. "It has nothing to do with me." 

Nagumo hissed, "I'm warning you, Echizen, if you do anything to screw up their relationship, I'll make your life miserable."

"How can _you _make_my_ life miserable?" He challenged.

"I hope you didn't forget—I'm part of the school newspaper. I can spread rumors. I don't think you'll be too happy with some of the things I can say about you."

"Hn."

"I know you may not care right now. I know I'll have you kicked off the tennis team no later than a week after the rumor is publicized."

"You have nothing. You're bluffing Nagumo. Quite the idiot act."

"No I'm serious."

"Hn."

"Just try messing their relationship. I'll get you kicked off that tennis team for good."

"I won't be kicked off. I haven't done anything wrong."

"Keep telling yourself that. I have tons of 'evidence'. If you really piss me off, you'll find yourself expelled. Stay away from Ryuzaki."

Echizen, clenching his hand, watched Nagumo saunter away, and growled. He needed to make sure that the bastard wouldn't dare try anything fishy. He was proud of being singles one and he couldn't afford to lose it to some potential rumor. Ryuzaki-sensei had listed a bunch of things that could get you kicked off—low grades, extremely rude behavior, poor attendance at practice—but as far he knew, he hadn't undermined any of them. True, he was rather cocky, but he always made it a point to say 'mada mada ssuyo' (1), instead of his usual phrase to his teachers. His grades weren't as bad as Horio's or Momoshiro's so they'd get kicked off before him. In fact, he was placed third in the class.

Echizen's began to run through his hair, but it paused midway. Realization dawned on him.

Nagumo wasn't bluffing.

* * *

Sakuno's gaze flicked onto the black-haired boy walking slowly next to her. 

Yesterday, he had tried talking to her, and she had been shocked. Apparently, his dense mind had realized that something was wrong and he wanted her to open up to him. Surprised, she had brushed off his attempt to get closer to her, and called it off as nothing without a second thought. Unfortunately, her inner self forced her to think otherwise, and she began to analyze his strange behavior.

After the fiasco that resulted in her moving to Echizen's house, she realized that he hadn't spoken to her once after that. In fact, she suddenly noticed, he was avoiding her! Curse her lack of perception, she should've noticed earlier!

She was considering breaking the ice until he said, "We're here."

Sakuno's eyes shined with determination. Echizen Ryoma will _never_ have the upper hand in this game. If _he_ was avoiding _her_, the original plan would be for naught!

* * *

Echizen's head, turned away from her, was hurting. Thinking hard about girls—especially about girls—could really give him a headache. 

That moron Nagumo managed to pick up a bit of blackmail huh? The aloof Echizen, acting in a way that would lead to blackmail; the concept was implausible. However, Nagumo had, in some inhuman way, obtained evidence.

He wanted to show that he didn't care for Nagumo's threat. He wanted to talk to Ryuzaki and prove that he wasn't scared. But the damn truth of the matter was that he was scared. Tennis was his life, and he was unwilling to risk anything that could get him kicked out of the club.

* * *

The two students walked past the gate and entered the house. Sakuno, being polite, called out a soft, "Tadaima," but Echizen, burdened by his thoughts, nodded to Nanako and his mother. 

"Ryoma-san, Ryuzaki-san; dinner will be ready shortly. Ryoma-san's father is going to bring some sushi from Kawamura's." she said.

"That is, if he doesn't eat it all himself before he gets here," Rinko joked. "Ryoma! Be a gentleman! Help Sakuno-chan carry her books to her room."

Ryoma growled at his mother, but nonetheless complied. Grabbing Sakuno's bag, he followed the aforementioned girl up the stairs. Progress was slow, but once they reached the final step, she suddenly paused.

Thoroughly irate, the boy's eyes narrowed. "Why've you stopped?"

Sakuno, eyes glinting and lips formed into a smirk, replied, "I'm looking at a picture of yours that your mother showed me."

"Hn."

"A _baby_ picture." She elaborated.

Damn his kaasan.

Casting a furious glare at the girl in front of him, who was looking back, obviously amused, he was about to make a snappy comment, until Nagumo's threat came back into mind.

Tennis... or pay back this girl who just mocked him...

Tennis or pride?

It was tough decision, but he decided to drop tennis at the moment. His pride was nothing to be made light of, mind you. What Nagumo didn't know couldn't hurt him anyway. This was strictly in the boundaries of his home and he had every right to do whatever he pleased.

Suddenly, he dropped her books.

Ignoring her sudden squeal, he picked her up. Two sliver crutches fell to the floor with a thump, as he carried her to the room, slightly wincing at her cries.

Still holding her, he stumbled and groped the handle of her room. She had stopped kicking, but was now staring at him with wide, fearful eyes. Smirking, he pushed open the door and gently dropped her on the bed. Instincts kicking in, he jumped on top of her, his face a mere two inches away from her face and his body on top of hers. She breathed in his musky scent and trembled as she soaked up his warmth. He lifted a threatening finger and trailed it down her cheek. It traced the side of her neck and the outline of her shoulder. His hand slid down her arm and grasped her hand. _Damn it, she had a boyfriend now!_ Sakuno's eyes closed in frightened anticipation, until...

Sakuno's eyes fluttered open, and she blinked. The grinning boy was sitting, holding a picture. Horrified, she looked at her clenched hand, and saw that the picture she had been flaunting a few minutes earlier was no longer there.

In a fit of desperation, she tried to throw herself onto the boy. Echizen, miscalculating her reach, backed away too soon, and found himself trapped under her.

_Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. _

Sakuno pressed her body onto him, satisfied with his astonished blush. She brought her lips a bare two centimeters from his mouth and basked in his paralyzed state. She whispered seductively, "On your left."

Echizen, too shocked for words, abruptly turned his head to the left.

Bad idea.

Her hand instantly went to his tightly clenched palm and slipped her fingers into it. The sweat from his anxiety took its toll, and he couldn't prevent her from seizing the picture back.

Without further ado, she sprung back and tucked the picture into her bra. Sticking her tongue at him, she lounged back, relishing in her victory.

He was surprised. If she was his girlfriend, he wouldn't have hesitated to jump at her and take it.

But the infuriating part was that she was not.

_Damn it. _

He was still sprawled on her bed. Realizing that he had gone too far, he said, "Hn," without challenging her again. His eyes covered by his bangs, he slid off her bed and walked out of the room.

_Looks like avoiding Ryuzaki's going to be harder than I thought._

* * *

(1) This is a more polite form of Echizen's usual 'mada mada dane'. He said it to Ryuzaki-sensei once, and I thought it would be an interesting thing to include in my story. 

**A/N: Another chapter over! So can anyone guess what blackmail Nagumo had on Echizen? ;)**

**Thanks for the reviews so far. Keep reading, now the real stuff kicks in. I don't know how long I'll make this fiction, but I know it'll be at least 10, if not more, chapters. Your support has been most helpful, so do review!**

**I suppose you know now why I've rated this T. It was originally K, but it had some themes that required a bit more maturity.**

**Till next chapter!**

**Ffgirl8**


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